UNDERWATER TELECOMMUNICATIONS: GSM / DIVER PHONE

A new, ground-breaking communication device for scuba diving professionals

AMPHICOM®, in partnership with France Telecom and Certicom International, has developed the first GSM / DIVER communication system. This advanced system allows two-way communication between a diver in action underwater and a topside person on a boat or platform, the nearby shore or thousands of miles away !

Using the GSM network coverage, the topside person uses his cell phone or regular phone to establish a wireless communication with an interface buoy anchored next to the diving site. The interface buoy is connected by a hard-wire link to an underwater unit, consisting of an electronic transceiver box and a dedicated mouthpiece (AMPHICOM®'s active mouthpiece). The underwater unit is mounted on a standard tank / regulator set.

When the system receives an incoming call, the underwater unit triggers a strobe flash and a sound signal to get the divers' attention. The diver, after taking to his mouth the regulator equipped with AMPHICOM®'s active mouthpiece, simply depresses a push button on the control pad to take the call.
For an outgoing call, the diver uses an underwater keypad to dial a phone number anywhere in the world.

The GSM / DIVER system, intended for use in underwater operations to increase safety and efficiency, could be available as from 2003.